Rafting Days in Pennsylvania

Rafting Days in Pennsylvania, Volume 1, is a detailed historical account of the state's vanished lumber industry. This work of United States history focuses on the dangerous trade of transporting timber via massive river rafts across the Middle Atlantic region. The text documents the specialized process of raft building, the various types of vessels used, and the lives of the men who navigated famous rivers and survived notable floods.

This volume serves as a preservation of forest lore and a treatise on reforestation. It honors the legacy of Gifford Pinchot and the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service while reflecting on the environmental exhaustion that ended the industry. By including a glossary of rafting terms and personal recollections, Rafting Days in Pennsylvania provides a comprehensive look at Pennsylvania state and local history through the lens of its early industrial era.